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Judges 13:24 — Word Study

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WLCוַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃

BSASo the womanʼishshâh [female person, wife] gave birth toyâlad [to beget, brought forth] a sonbên [male child, descendant] and namedqârâʼ [to call, designate] himshêm SamsonShimshôwn [like the sun] The boynaʻar [youth, young person] grewgâdal [to magnify, became great] and the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the supreme God] blessed himbârak [to praise, honor]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 13
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 24 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Yah.weh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 13:24quick helps
In a sentenceA woman gives birth to a son named Samson, who grows up blessed by the LORD.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes the actions of a woman, the mother of Samson.
Where we areThis passage describes the birth and early life of Samson, a judge of Israel.
The hard wordוַתֵּ֤לֶד
Take awayThe birth of Samson marks the beginning of his significant role in Israel's history.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbיָלַד The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Judges 13:24

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Birth of Samsongenerated

22“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
23But his wife replied, “If the LORD had intended to kill us, He would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things or spoken to us this way.”
24So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 13:24 recounts the birth of Samson, a significant figure in Israel's history. His mother, described as a woman, gives birth to him and names him Samson, meaning 'like the sun.' This event is pivotal as it sets the stage for Samson's future as a judge of Israel and highlights the divine blessing upon his life, as noted in the following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Hebrews 11:32And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
21 Samuel 3:19And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
3Luke 1:80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.
4Luke 2:52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

A. M. 2849. B.C. 1155. SamsonHebrews 11:32

The Key Word יָלַד, va.Te.ledgenerated

The verb יָלַד (*yalad*) means to give birth or beget a child. It encompasses the act of childbirth and can also refer to assisting in childbirth, as a midwife would. The parsing indicates it is in the sequential imperfect form, showing that it describes an action that was ongoing at the time.

This word captures the moment of birth, emphasizing the significance of lineage and the continuation of family. It is a common term in biblical narratives, often associated with the beginnings of important figures.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb וַתֵּ֤לֶד governs the entire verse, indicating the action of the woman giving birth. The structure includes a noun phrase for the subject, another clause for the object, and additional clauses that describe the actions surrounding the birth.

The word order emphasizes the actions of the woman and the significance of the birth, followed by the growth and divine blessing of the child, Samson.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָלַד with ἔτεκεν, which means 'to bear' or 'to give birth.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the focus on the act of childbirth.

The translation reflects a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew text, emphasizing the continuity of the narrative across both texts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 13:24 tells us that a woman gave birth to a son named Samson. The boy grew up, and the LORD blessed him. This passage marks an important moment in the history of Israel, as Samson would later become a judge and a significant leader.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the name Samson mean?

The name Samson means 'like the sun,' reflecting brightness and strength, which is fitting for his character in the biblical narrative.

Why is the blessing from the LORD significant?

The blessing from the LORD signifies divine favor and support, which is crucial for Samson's future role as a judge of Israel.

What role does Samson play in Israel's history?

Samson is known for his strength and his role as a judge, leading Israel against their enemies during a time of oppression.

How does this passage connect to the overall narrative of Judges?

This passage introduces Samson, whose life and actions are central to the themes of deliverance and conflict in the book of Judges.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean to be blessed by the LORD in your own life?
  2. How can you recognize the significance of your own beginnings and lineage?
  3. In what ways can the story of Samson inspire you to fulfill your purpose?
  4. How do you see God's hand at work in the lives of those around you?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 13:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the woman bare a son, and called name Samson,.... After these appearances were over, Manoah and his wife returned to their habitation, and she soon became pregnant, and at the usual course of

Read John Gill on Judges 13 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. The woman bare a son, and called his name Samson.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 13 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

i.e. Endowed him with all those graces and gifts of mind and body which were necessary for the work he was designed for.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 13 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 13:24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.Ver. 24. And called his name Samson.] That is, Solilus, a little sun, a type of Christ "the Sun of Righteousness." Josephus expoundeth it, Robustus, strong; because as the sun in his strength is irresistible, so was Samson. And the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.] With a heroic spirit, and extraordinary strength of body, far above that which the poets feign of their Hercules, with his twelve incredible labours.

Read John Trapp on Judges 13 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) Samson.—Josephus renders the word “strong” (ἰσχυρός), deriving it from a root (shameem), and perhaps not unwilling to suggest an analogy between Samson and the Greek Hercules. St. Jerome, rendering it “strength of the sun,” derives it from shemesh, “sun,” and on, “strength.” It is more probable that it means “sunny.” In Ezra 4:8 we have the name Shimshai, perhaps from the same root. The connection of “the sun” with strength was very natural (Judges 5:31; Psalms 19:5-6). The Rabbis say that he was “named after the name of God, who is called sun and shield of Israel” (Psalms 84:12). The mother gave the name in this instance. (Comp. Genesis 29:32-35; Genesis 35:18; Luke 1:60.) Ewald…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 13 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 24. And called his name Samson] The original שמשון shimshon, which is from the root שמש shamash, to serve, (whence shemesh, the sun,) probably means either a little sun, or a little servant; and this latter is so likely a name to be imposed on an only son, by maternal fondness, that it leaves but little doubt of the propriety of the etymology. And the Lord blessed him.] Gave evident proofs that the child was under the peculiar protection of the Most High; causing him to increase daily in stature and extraordinary strength.

Read AdamClarke on Judges 13 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. Samson] The form implies that the word is either an adjective or a diminutive, ‘solar’ or ‘little sun,’ from shemesh = ‘sun.’ The Engl. Samson, based on the Gk. Σαμψών, is nearer the original pronunciation than the Shimshτn of the M.T. In Babylonian Shamshβnu has recently been found as a proper name (Hilprecht-Clay, Bab. Exp. ix. 27. 70), and in Egyptian Shamshβn occurs as the name of a town in S.W. Palestine on the list of places captured by Ramses II (b.c. 1292–1225). It cannot be without significance that less than 2 m. from Ṣ ?ar‘a, just across the valley, lies ‘Ain Shems, which preserves the name of the ancient Beth-shemesh (= ‘temple of the sun) or Ir-shemesh (= ‘city of the…

Read Cambridge on Judges 13 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Samson - The etymology is doubtful. Perhaps it comes from a word signifying “to minister,” in allusion to his Nazaritic consecration to the service of God.

Read Albert Barnes on Judges 13 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Manoah’s wife gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord empowered him.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And the wife bare a sonne, and called his name Samson: and the childe grewe, and the Lord blessed him.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the woman beareth a son, and calleth his name Samson, and the youth groweth, and Jehovah doth bless him,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the woman bears a son, and calls his name Samson, and the youth grows, and YHWH blesses him,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Later the woman gave birth to a son, and called his name Samson. The child grew up and Yahweh blessed him.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And she bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

She gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So the woman gave birth to a son, and gave him the name Samson; and he became a man and the blessing of the Lord was on him.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbתֵּ֤לֶדshe.borenoun phrase · subjectהָֽtheאִשָּׁה֙womanobjectבֵּ֔ןa.sonוַandclauseverbתִּקְרָ֥אshe.callednoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseשְׁמ֖nameוֹhissecond objectשִׁמְשׁ֑וֹןSamsonוַandclauseverbיִּגְדַּ֣לhe.grew.upnoun phrase · subjectהַtheנַּ֔עַרladוַֽandclauseverbיְבָרְכֵ֖heobjectהוּblessed.himsubjectיְהוָֽהYahweh

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with 10 of the 11 words matched. This consistency highlights the reliability of the account across different ancient manuscripts.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַתֵּ֤לֶדἔτεκενהָֽאִשָּׁה֙γυνὴבֵּ֔ןυἱὸνוַתִּקְרָ֥אἐκάλεσενשְׁמ֖וֹαὐτοῦשִׁמְשׁ֑וֹןσαμψωνוַיִּגְדַּ֣לἡδρύνθηהַנַּ֔עַרπαιδάριονוַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּαὐτὸיְהוָֽה׃κύριος

10 of the 11 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Judges 13:24יָלַדand she borand she boreיָלַדאִשָּׁהthe womanthe womanאִשָּׁהבֵּןa sona sonבֵּןקָרָאand she caland she calledקָרָאאֵתthe object the object markאֵתשֵׁםname hisname hisשֵׁםשִׁמְשׁוֹןSamsonSamsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןגָּדַלand he grewand he grew upגָּדַלנַ֫עַרthe ladthe ladנַ֫עַרבָּרַךְand he blesand he blessed בָּרַךְיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁנָעַרto shaketo shakeנָעַרהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאִישׁmanmanאִישׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאגְּדִלִיםtasseltasselגְּדִלִיםשֶׁ֫לַחShelahShelahשֶׁ֫לַחהָרָהto conceivto conceiveהָרָהטַףchildchildטַףנָכְרִיforeignforeignנָכְרִיעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןצוֹםfastfastצוֹםשֵׁםnamenameשֵׁם
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Judges 13:24

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
וַתֵּ֤לֶדva.Te.led and she bore H3205 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
496× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to give birth or beget a child, like when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. It can also mean to help someone give birth, like a midwife. This word is used in many KJV translations, including Genesis and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
to beget, brought forth
Tyndale gloss
to beget
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget

Qal

bear, bring forth

less often beget

of both parents

Niph. be born

Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife

Pu. be born

Hiph.

beget (a father a child)

bear

Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday

Hithp. declared their pedigree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth

. less often beget

. of both parents

. be born

. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife

. be born

. . beget (a father a child)

. bear

. day of one's being born = birthday

. declared their pedigree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3205 yalad yaw-lad'

a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;

medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show

lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring

forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be

delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,

labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be

the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.

1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to bear, bring forth

1a1a) of child birth

1a1b) of distress (simile)

1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)

1a2) to beget

1b) (Niphal) to be born

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to cause or help to bring forth

1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife

1c3) midwife (participle)

1d) (Pual) to be born

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to beget (a child)

1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)

1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)

1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bor: According to the Book of the Covenant (Ex 20:20-23:33) a slave whom his master had purchased was to be released after six years. Should he choose to remain in his master's service a religious ceremony was necessary to ratify his decision. "Then his master shall bring him unto God" (better than "unto the judges" of the King James Version), "and shall bring him to the door, or unto the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl" (Ex 21:6). It is highly improbable that "unto God" means "to a sanctuary"; for there was no special reason for performing this ceremony near the door of a sanctuary. On the other hand the entrance to a private house was a sacred spot. According to primitive thinking near the door dwelt the household gods whose function it was to…

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ha.'i.Shah the woman H802 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
female person, wife
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

woom'-an ('ishshah, "a woman" (feminine of 'ish, "a man"]; gune, "a woman" "wife"):

I. IN THE CREATIVE PLAN

II. IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES

1. Prominence of Women

2. Social Equality

3. Marriage Laws

4. Inheritance

5. Domestic Duties

6. Dress and Ornaments

7. Religious Devotion and Service

(1) in Idolatry and False Religion

(2) in Spiritual Religion

III. INTER-TESTAMENTAL ERA

IV. IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES

1. Mary and Elisabeth

2. Jesus and Women

3. In the Early Church

4. Official Service

5. Widows

6. Deaconesses

IV. LATER TIMES

1. Changes in Character and Condition

2. Notable Examples of Christian Womanhood

3. Woman in the 20th Century

The generic term "man" includes woman. In the narrative of the creation (Ge 1:26,27) Adam is a collective term for mankind. It may signify human being, male or female, or humanity entire. "God said, Let us make man .... and let them"…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Woman

Was “taken out of man” (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. “The head of the woman is the man;” but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, “as unto the weaker vessel” (1 Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Several women are mentioned in Scripture as having been endowed with prophetic gifts, as Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4, 5), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Neh. 6:14), Anna (Luke 2:36, 37), and the daughters of Philip the evangelist…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Is spoken of in Scripture as the beloved and honored companion and helpmeet, not the servant, of man, Ge 2:23,24, created as the necessary completion of man, Ge 3:16 1Co 11:3,8,9 14:34,35 1Ti 2:11-14, yet specially qualified for that sphere, and as necessary in it as man in his. Man and woman are indeed essentially one, the natural qualities of each so responding to those of the other as to lay the foundation of the most tender and abiding unity. The Bible thus raised the Jewish woman high above the woman of heathenism; and the Old Testament contains some of the finest portraitures of female character. But still greater is the contrast between the women of heathenism and…

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Origin and cause of the name

Ge 2:23

- ORIGINALLY MADE

. By God in his own image

Ge 1:27

. From one of Adam's ribs

Ge 2:21,22

. For man

1Co 11:9

. To be an helpmeet for man

Ge 2:18,20

. Subordinate to man

1Co 11:3

. To be the glory of man

1Co 11:7

- Deceived by Satan

Ge 3:1-6; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

- Led man to disobey God

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
בֵּ֔ןBen a son H1121 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
male child, descendant
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

The term "son" is used in Scripture language to imply almost any kind of descent or succession, as ben shanah , "son of a year," i.e. a year old; ben kesheth , "son of a bow," i.e. an arrow. The word bar is often found in the New Testament in composition, as Bar-timaeus.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Sometimes denotes a grandson, or any remote descendant, Ge 29:5 2Sa 19:24. At other times a son by adoption is meant, Ge 48:5; or by law, Ru 4:17; or by education, 1Sa 3:6 20:35; or by conversion, as Titus was Paul’s "son father the common faith," Tit 1:4. And again it denotes a mental or moral resemblance, etc., Jud 19:22 Ps 89:6 Isa 57:3 Ac 13:10. In a…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ FIGURATIVE

Of a person' s relation to God Ex 4:22

See ADOPTION

See GOD, FATHERHOOD OF

See JESUS, SON OF GOD

See JESUS, SON OF MAN

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
וַתִּקְרָ֥אva.tik.Ra' and she called H7121 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
733× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to call out to someone or something, often by name. It's used in many situations, like calling for help or reading aloud. In Genesis, God calls out to Adam in the Garden.
Amplified meaning
to call, designate
Tyndale gloss
to call: call to
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָרָא (qara') is a primitive root meaning to call, proclaim, or read. It encompasses a range of actions including calling out, crying for help, reading aloud, and summoning. The word can also imply being called or named in various contexts. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read

Qal

call, cry, utter a loud sound

call, cry

call unto some one

cry for help

proclaim

read aloud

read to oneself

summon

call = name

Niph.

reflex.

pass. be called

Pu. be called

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7121 קָרָא call, proclaim, read .. . call, cry, utter a loud sound

. call, cry

. . call unto some one

. cry for help

. proclaim

. . read aloud

. read to oneself

. summon

. call = name

. . reflex.

. pass. be called

. be called

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7121 qara' kaw-raw'

a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea

of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly,

address by name, but used in a wide variety of

applications):--bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for,

forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite,

mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(- ation),

pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

see HEBREW for 07122

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call to.

: call_to/invite/entreat

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow

1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to call oneself

1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named

1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call by.

: call_by/name

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
שְׁמ֖וֹshe.Mo name his H8034 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹןshim.Shon Samson H8123 Noun proper masculine
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Samson, meaning like the sun, was a Danite and a judge of Israel for 20 years. He was a Nazarite for life, and his story is first mentioned in Judges 13:24, where he is described as the son of Manoah.
Amplified meaning
like the sun
Tyndale gloss
Samson
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Shimshown) refers to Samson, a significant figure in the Old Testament known as a judge of Israel. The name is derived from the Hebrew word for sunlight, suggesting a meaning of 'like the sun.' Samson, a Danite and Nazarite, is first mentioned in Judges 13:24 and is noted for his strength and tumultuous life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׁמְשׁוֹן 38 n.pr.m. Samson

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8123 שִׁמְשׁוֹן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8123 Shimshown shim-shone'

from 8121; sunlight; Shimshon, an Israelite:--Samson.

see HEBREW for 08121

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁמְשׁוֹן (shim.shon) — Samson.

A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.13.24;

son of: Manoah (H4495); married to Delilah (H1807)

Also named: Sampsōn (Σαμψών "Samson" G4546)

§ Samson = "like the sun"

a Danite, son of Manoah, a Nazarite for life, and a judge of Israel for 20 years

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sam'-sun (shimshon.

1. Name:

Derived probably from shemesh, "sun" with the diminutive ending -on, meaning "little sun" or "sunny," or perhaps "sun-man"; Sampson; Latin and English, Samson): His home was near Bethshemesh, which means "house of the sun." Compare the similar formation shimshay (Ezr 4:8,9,17,23).

2. Character:

Samson was a judge, perhaps the last before Samuel. He was a Nazirite of the tribe of Da (Jud 13:5); a man of prodigious strength, a giant and a gymnast--the Hebrew Hercules, a strange champion for Yahweh! He intensely hated the Philistines who had oppressed Israel some 40 years (Jud 13:1), and was willing to fight them alone. He seems to have been actuated by little less than personal vengeance, yet in the New…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Samson

Of the sun, the son of Manoah, born at Zorah. The narrative of his life is given in Judg. 13-16. He was a “Nazarite unto God” from his birth, the first Nazarite mentioned in Scripture (Judg. 13:3-5; comp. Num. 6:1-21). The first recorded event of his life was his marriage with a Philistine woman of Timnath (Judg. 14:1-5). Such a marriage was not forbidden by the law of Moses, as the Philistines did not form one of the seven doomed Canaanite nations (Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4). It was, however, an ill-assorted and unblessed marriage. His wife was soon taken from him and given “to his companion” (

(like the sun), son of Manoah, a man of the town of Zorah in the tribe of Dan, on the border of Judah. (Joshua 15:33; 19:41) (B.C. 1161). The miraculous circumstances of his birth are recorded in Judges 13; and the three following chapters are devoted to the history of his life and exploits. Samson takes his place in Scripture, (1) as a judge --an office which he filled for twenty years, (Judges 15:20; 16:31) (2) as a Nazarite, (Judges 13:5; 16:17) and (3) as one endowed with supernatural power by the Spirit of the Lord. (Judges 13:25; 14:6,19; 15:14) As a judge his authority seems to have been limited to the district bordering upon the country of the Philistines. The…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, a deliverer and judge of the southern tribes of the Hebrews for twenty years, Jud 13:1; 16:31. His birth was miraculously foretold; he was a Nazarite from infancy and the strongest of men; and was equally celebrated for his fearless and wonderful exploits, for his moral infirmities, and for his tragical end. His exploits were not wrought without special divine aid; "the Spirit of God came mightily upon him," Jud 13:25 14:6,19 15:14 16:20,28. The providence of God was signally displayed in overruling for good the hasty passions of Samson, the cowardice of his friends, and the malice of his enemies. The sins of Samson brought him in great disgrace and misery; but grace and faith triumphed in the end,

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
וַיִּגְדַּ֣לvai.yig.Dal and he grew up H1431 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
117× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To make something or someone great, important, or powerful. This Hebrew word means to magnify or grow, and is used in the Bible to describe God's power and greatness. The KJV translates it as 'magnify' or 'great'.
Amplified meaning
to magnify, became great
Tyndale gloss
to magnify
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּדַל (gadal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to grow up or become great. It encompasses a range of meanings including to magnify, promote, and make powerful. The word has various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of growth and greatness. Notably, it can also imply self-magnification.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּדַל 115 vb. grow up, become great

Qal

grow up

become great

to be magnified

Pi.

cause to grow

make great, powerful

magnify

Pu. brought up

Hiph.

make great

magnify

do great things

Hithp. I will magnify myself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1431 גָּדַל grow up, become great .. grow up

. become great

. to be magnified

. . cause to grow

. make great, powerful

. magnify

. brought up

. . make great

. magnify

. do great things

. I will magnify myself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1431 gadal gaw-dal'

a primitive root; properly, to twist (compare 1434), i.e. to

be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body,

mind, estate or honor, also in pride):--advance, boast, bring

up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax),

great(-er, come to...estate, + things), grow(up),increase,

lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass,

promote, proudly (spoken), tower.

see HEBREW for 01434

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּדַל (ga.dal) — to magnify.

1) to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to grow up

1a2) to become great

1a3) to be magnified

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to cause to grow

1b2) to make great, powerful

1b3) to magnify

1c) (Pual) to be brought up

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to make great

1d2) to magnify

1d3) to do great things

1e) (Hithpael) to magnify oneself

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
הַנַּ֔עַרha.Na.'ar the lad H5288 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
239× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word means a young person, either a boy or a girl, from infancy to adolescence. It is used to describe the servants and attendants who worked for kings and other important people in the Old Testament, like King David's servants.
Amplified meaning
youth, young person
Tyndale gloss
youth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נַ֫עַר (na`ar) generally refers to a boy, lad, or youth, covering ages from infancy to adolescence. It can also imply a servant or retainer and, in some contexts, may refer to a girl of similar age. The term appears in various forms across different lexicons, with Brown-Driver-Briggs noting its usage as a shaking or scattering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נַ֫עַר 239 n.m. 1. boy, lad, youth. 2. retainer (not in P)

boy, lad, youth (c. 133 t.)

servant, retainer (c. 105 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5288a נַ֫עַר usu. interpr. as a shaking, scattering H5288b נַ֫עַר, נַ֫עַר . boy, lad, youth

. retainer

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5288 na`ar nah'-ar

from 5287; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of

infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by

interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age):--babe,

boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young

(man).

see HEBREW for 05287

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נַ֫עַר (na.ar) — youth.

1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer

1a) boy, lad, youth

1b) servant, retainer

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

In the Old Testament this word occurs as the translation of na`ar, "young person," "child," "servant," the Revised Version (British and American) properly substituting "servant" in 2Ki 4:19; Jud 16:26 is another passage where either sense of the original word may be intended. The word occurs in the New Testament in Joh 6:9 as the translation of paidarion; in Ac 20:12, pais (the King James Version "young man").

and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּvay.va.re.Khe.hu and he blessed him H1288 Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
330× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To bless means to praise or honor God, often by kneeling in worship. In the Bible, people bless God and God blesses people, showing favor and care for them, as seen in the story of Abraham and his descendants.
Amplified meaning
to praise, honor
Tyndale gloss
to bless
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּרַךְ (*barak*) is built from a primitive root meaning 'to kneel' and encompasses a range of meanings including 'to bless' and 'to curse.' It can refer to blessing God or men, as well as the act of kneeling in adoration. The entries note that it can also imply a curse in certain contexts, reflecting a nuanced use in greetings and farewells.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּרַךְ] 329 vb. kneel, bless

Qal

kneel down

bless

Niph. bless oneself

Pi.

bless God, adore with bended knees

God blesses

men bless men

salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing

bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates

Pu.

pass. to be blessed, adored

prospered by God

have prosperity invoked, by Balaam

in gratitude

Hiph. and he made his camel kneel

Hithp. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1288 בָּרַךְ kneel, bless .. kneel down

. bless

. bless oneself

. . bless God, adore with bended knees

. God blesses

. men bless men

. salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing

. bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates

. . pass. to be blessed, adored

. prospered by God

. have prosperity invoked, by Balaam

. in gratitude

. and he made his camel kneel

. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1288 barak baw-rak'

a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as

an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);

also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):--X

abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless,

congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down),

praise, salute, X still, thank.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) — to bless.

1) to bless, kneel

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to kneel

1a2) to bless

1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself

1c) (Piel) to bless

1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored

1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel

1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself

2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse

Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
Hc/Vpw3ms/Sp3ms
and she bore the woman a son and she called the object marker name his Samson and he grew up the lad and he blessed him Yahweh
יְהוָֽה׃Yah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the supreme God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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